Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-05-25
EVERYBODY ISHAPPY.
For Rock Island is Having Big
Boom.
Encouraging Prospects for the Failure
indications of a Business Growth
improvements Everywhere.

The coming of; each new day now,
brings with it some fresh indications of
Rock Islands business growth and new
manifestations of the confidence there is
in the future of the city. There has not
been time before in Rock Islands hiss
tory. where the merchants and manufac-
turers who make the town, haye worn
such bright countenances as they do at
the present time Within the past few
months, the city has appeared to take a
new lease on life. A new leaf has been
turned in the city's history on which has
been written the heading for a
list of improvements and accounts OF
our everyday advancement. The only
difficulty that has been experienced for
years-the arousing of the people to a
realization of the advantages they have
has been met, and Rock Island is maxi
ing stride that will bring It on
level with other important commercial
and manufacturing centers. Many of our
people have been so long accustomed to
the natural and acquired advantages of
Rock Island that they look at them as
something not out of the usual order OF
things, and citizen whose interests are
eentered here must 90 away ami witness
tie failings of other localities to appre-
ciate the improvement in his own town.
visited Rock Island, attracted hither by
the reports that the town is having a
boom, and all have expressed their sur>
prise at the revelations they have met
and establishment that there Was not a
great city here long ago. One agent who
visited the tri-cities last week in the in
lerests of an eastern syndicate to investi
gate the feasibility of buying up all the
street railway stock in the tri- cities with
view of forming one complete electric
system, wrote back east, Il am much
pleased with the outlook; the boom is
here" and he might have added, it is
likely to stay, for Rock Islands boom is
not such as Will melt and fade away. 1t
will increase and spread rather than
diminish or deprecIate A foot
of ground IN Rock Island today is
worth more than it was yesterday.
| Real estate dyancing constantly.
fact which could be no more
clearly demonstrated than in the con-
fdence manifested by local spectators
who have invested literally in the last
week or so.
Mr.. C. G. Knell has closed contract
with Mr., P. l.. Mitchell by the terms of
which Mr.. Mitchell is to erect a brick
building fifty three by eighty feet and
three stories high, with high basement
on Sixteenth street above First avenue,
for the new furniture factory into which
Mr. knen will embark about November |.
The latest and most improved machin-
cry for fine work in furniture will be used
the purpose being to manufacture all the
latest fancy designs and many original
ones. This is another proof of the sound
ness of Rock Islands prospects. A man
with Knell's business shrewdness and
with his years of experience in Rock Isl
and would not have made this venture
unless pretty well assured that there was
something ahead of it. He will be sue
cessful ill his enterprise, too.
The committees appointed at she last
meeting Of the Business Mems associa>
ton are attending to their respective
duties. and it is probable that each will
have full and complete report to pre-
sent at the adjourned meeting Friday
night. The signs of improvements are
shown in all pafts of tie city Where
the carpenter and builder is not at work
the painter is, and the private marks OF
enterprise are encouraged by public i'm
provements. EIGHTH avenue from
Twenty seventh to Twenty-ninth streets
is being opened up in fine shape, and in
other localities the good work is going
on.
The Buffalo, n Y, Preserved Fruit
company has determined to move west,
and already has Rock Island under con
sideration among other desirable sites
This is q matter to which the attention
of the Business Mems association vii
be directed at the next meeting. 1t is al
industry employing over one hundred
men, and Rock Island will neglect nc
effort to secure it.